SEEING EUROPE ON TWO WHEELS INSTEAD OF 10 TIRES

Q – We are rather active travelers just now thinking about doing a riverboat cruise. We would be bringing our own helmets and would want to go bike riding just about everywhere along the Rhine itinerary. If there are castles to be seen, we’ll ride up the hills to see them, albeit we may stop…

FOR A DANUBE CRUISE OUT OF BUDAPEST DO WE WANT PORT OR STARBOARD?

Q – We couldn’t be more excited about our upcoming Avalon Cruise from Budapest to Nuremberg. The ship looks lovely and they even include wines with breakfast! We’ll be facing the water from our bed so the question as to which side of the ship is best seems rather important. Really appreciate your advice on…

DO WE WANT A CATEGORY 6 OR 7 ON TAUCK?

Q –  We are about to sign up for our first river cruise next July on the Amsterdam to Budapest itinerary you seem to feel is the best for first-timers. We can’t decide between a Category 6 and Category 7, their top category. It appears, from my readings, that the Category 6’s have been “redesigned”…

AMAZING CREW ON THE BACH BUT REALLY WONDERING ABOUT ………..

Q –  We have just returned from our third river cruise, this time sailing the Crystal Bach. We thoroughly enjoyed our previous experiences on Avalon and Vantage, but this experience was head and shoulders the best experience at sea we’ve ever enjoyed. There was something so special about the manner in which staff on-board the…

IS TASMANIA A GOOD IDEA FOR HIKERS AND FOODIES?

Q –  We are in our mid-fifties but in quite fine shape as I am actually the owner of a small string of health clubs . We have been to Australia and loved it and we are now heading back to spend some time in Tasmania. Just wondering your thoughts regarding the best month to…

A 13 YEAR OLD POSES A QUESTION TO TRAVELTRUTH

Q – I have traveled quite a bit since my Mom is in the international real estate business. I like your site take a look https://www.best-innisfil-real-estate.ca/, she will help you if you need a real estate agent, she even can help you find the right storage facility for you if you are moving out of…

HOW ARE THESE SHIPS REALLY BUILT?

Q – I am an amateur architect, model builder, and avid reader of Scientific American. The construction of these new cruise ships has me really intrigued but I am curious about a starting point to learn more about the process. I am not expecting a lot of details but was wondering if someone on your…

YOU ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO LAUGH AT THIS ONE ……………………

Q – I know you are going to have fun with this but I wouldn’t turn to anyone else for help. Have been following your work and advice for many years and am extremely grateful. We live in Arizona, no not Sun City, and I have, with the time of retirement, been getting into Ayurvedic…

HEADED TO MEXICO – PERHAPS TO RETIRE

Q – We are headed to Mexico to look around San Miguel de Allende for a possible retirement retreat. The prices just can’t be beat and there is a huge ex-pat American community. Our real estate people have set us up for accommodations but we are wondering if there is a particular restaurant we should…

SHOPPING IN MILAN WITHOUT WASTING TIME

Q – We are leaving in two weeks for Milan – a quick three-night addition to a business trip I have planned. My husband will be joining me and, strange as it sounds, he actually loves to shop high-end Italian clothing shops like The Swiss Avenue Store. To save time – please, please tell us…

HOW OFTEN DO THESE THINGS GET WASHED?

Q – The other day I was about to board a flight to Los Angeles with my husband and he commented on how new it looked. It was not, however, a new plane. It just looked like it had been washed. The paint was gleaming. I am wondering how often the outside of these planes…

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO SIT TO AVOID GERMS ON AN AIRPLANE?

Q –  There seems to be a lot of nonsense written about the best places to sit on an aircraft. Some say it is safer in the rear of the aircraft, some say the exit row, some say an aisle up front. I really don’t care about safety or an accident in the air. No…

IS THIS TRUE – OR RIVER MYTH?

Q – A friend, who seems to be knowledgeable about all things travel-related, told us that the river boat lines, all of them but Viking River, do not hire their own crew because they don;t even own the boats. The boats are rented and the crew comes with the boat. Could this possibly be true….

ARE U RECOMMENDING U AND CAN WE EVEN GO AT OUR AGE?

Q –  This is actually fun to read  – so thank you for that. But can’t you post a few times a day? That would be much better. We are considering our first family cruise of any kind. I am a busy accountant and my husband is a wine importer. We have three children, all…

IS IT POSSIBLE TO SAIL ROUND-TRIP FROM AMSTERDAM?

Q – We absolutely love Amsterdam and would like to spend a few days there both before and after a river cruise. That would mean, I suppose, that we would be traveling along the Moselle River, which one hears very little about. Our relatives come from Dusseldorf and we would love to return there as…

VIKING VERSUS UNIWORLD; JUST HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEIR PRICES?

Q –   There is lots to absorb here and we’re reading everything you’ve provided for us twice over. But we’re doing it in the context of not wanting to have to re-mortgage just to see if we really like river cruising enough to repeat the experience. Based on the information you’ve provided, it seems that…

SEEKING A BIT OF CANDOR ABOUT SEA DREAM

Q – We love the San Juan round-trip itinerary announced by Sea Dream for next year. It also seems like a fantastic price given that the line is so highly-rated. We are concerned about, what others have described” as a “tired look” to the ships in terms of bedding and carpeting. We are in our…

IS MY BROTHER-IN-LAW ON TO SOMETHING? IT WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME

Q – My brother-in-law books his cruises online with Expedia and feels he gets a pretty good deal. Of course he felt that way when he paid about $2,000 over blue book for the Corvette he bought last year. I’ve got an agent in Dearborn (Michigan) I’ve been booking with for the past sixteen years….

IS THERE A ‘BEST TIME’ TO CRUISE ALASKA?

Q – We are fairly new to cruising and just came upon your site. Wondering if there is a best time to do an Alaska cruise in terms of weather, sightseeing, and calm waters?  A – Alaska is an extremely profitable destination compared to other parts of the world where ships can be based. For…

WHY DON’T WE SEE ANYTHING ABOUT NCL’S RECENT PR DISASTER ON THIS SITE

Q – We are extremely fond of this site, or at least we were, until we discovered that you are ignoring one of the biggest news stories of the year, the disaster of a cruise on the Norwegian Line that saw a two-week cruise ruined by on-going construction. It seems that you only cover the…

IS COLOMBIA A DESTINATON WE SHOULD CONSIDER AT THIS TIME?

Q —  We are in our early and mid-seventies, in great health, and we love adventure. We don’t mind camping out to see great sites but we do have some qualms about safety as we consider a trip to Colombia, every time we decide to camp over there we find ourselves in the need to…

WHAT SHOULD A TRAVEL AGENT CHARGE FOR A HOTEL RESERVATION?

Vacations are supposed to be a wonderful yet relaxing experience to unwind and chill out. A great hotel management company like Prospera Hospitality is, in big part, responsible of such an amazing experience. However, any vacations wouldn’t be complete without experiencing a stay in the right hotel for your needs. That’s when a travel agent…

HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF MY MILES WITH SEVERAL AIRLINES?

Q – This airline business is uniquely frustrating and I am wondering if they make it intentionally tough to cash in miles? I currently have miles and elite status with American, Alaska, and United Airlines. I get e-mails and notifications but it is all very confusing and I tend t just give up and pay…